This invention relates to oral hygiene devices, and in particular tooth cleaning and gum stimulating devices for use on the teeth and gums of infants and small children.
The benefits of proper oral hygiene upon the health of an individual""s teeth and gums is well known and documented. Over recent years, it has been shown that good oral hygiene on the part of infants, babies and small children can be advantageous from the perspective of preventing tooth decay and maintaining healthy gums. The development of good oral hygiene practices and techniques for young children also tends to develop oral hygiene habits that are carried with the child throughout his or her lifetime.
Prior to the emergence of teeth in an infant, gently rubbing, brushing or scrubbing the infant""s gums will serve as a means to help dislodge bacteria and help to maintain the health of the gums. Gently rubbing a child""s gums will also provide a soothing affect to gums that may become inflamed when the child is teething. When teeth eventually emerge from the gums into the oral cavity the enamel surface of the teeth will benefit from brushing through the removal of plaque and other debris that may result in acidic formations upon the teeth, and eventually tooth decay.
Traditionally the teeth and gums of infants and very young children (typically under the age of 1) are cleaned through gently wiping with gauze or a wash cloth. Usually after approximately 6 months of age, and a number of teeth begin emerging from the child""s gums, brushing with a standard toothbrush is often introduced. Typical toothbrushes designed for small children are generally identical to commonly used adult toothbrushes, but smaller in size. Since infants and small children are physically incapable of effectively brushing their own teeth and gums, and as the placement of the toothbrush within a child""s mouth presents a potential choking hazard, most parents initiate an oral hygiene program for their children by way of physically assisting with the brushing of the teeth. Unfortunately infants and small children are often not co-operative making it very difficult, if not in some cases impossible, to adequately clean the child""s teeth.
As children become older they naturally attempt to become more independent and often wish to conduct standard routine tasks themselves. For example a two year old may refuse to allow a parent to brush his or her teeth and insist upon brushing them himself. Unfortunately, the manual dexterity exhibited by most small children is insufficient to allow an adequate brushing of the teeth and gums. The problem is exasperated by the fact that currently available infant toothbrushes are generally formed with relatively thin handles that are difficult for a small child to grasp. The development of motor function within the hands of a child often lags behind the development of other physical abilities. It is quite often not until the age of three or four that a child has developed sufficient hand function to enable him or her to grasp small thin cylindrical objects (such as a pencil or crayon) and perform desired functions with them. The long, cylindrical, thin handles of infant toothbrushes fall into the same category making them difficult for many small children to grasp properly and use effectively.
The invention therefore provides a baby or infant toothbrush that is simple and easy to use by small children, that is relatively inexpensive and easily constructed, and that is safe and may be used by infants and children without constant parental supervision or assistance.
Accordingly, in one of its aspects the invention provides an infant toothbrush comprising a generally cylindrical handle member, said handle member comprising a baby bottle having an upper end and lower end; and, a brush head releaseably securable to said upper end of said baby bottle, said brush head comprised of a generally conical central body having a lower generally cylindrical base and an upper reduced diameter neck portion ending in a generally rounded tip, said cylindrical base releaseably securable to said baby bottle, said rounded tip having a plurality of protrusions positioned thereon.
In a further aspect the invention provides an infant toothbrush comprising a handle and a brush head releaseably securable thereto, said handle comprising a baby bottle having a cap threadably receivable upon one end thereof, said cap having a centrally located hole therethrough, said brush head comprised of a generally conical central body having a lower relatively thin radially outward extending flange and an upper neck portion ending in a generally rounded tip having a plurality of protrusions positioned thereon, said radial flange receivable between said baby bottle cap and said baby bottle with said conical central body extending through said hole in said cap when said cap is threadably received upon said bottle.
In yet a further embodiment the invention provides an infant toothbrush comprising a generally cylindrical handle having opposed first and second ends and a brush head releaseably securable to said first end of said handle, said handle comprising a baby bottle having threads about its exterior surface at said first end, said brush head comprising a generally conical central body having a lower generally hollow cylindrical base portion and an upper neck portion ending in a generally rounded tip having a plurality of protrusions positioned thereon, said cylindrical base portion of said brush head including internal threads engagable with said threads on said exterior surface of said first end of said baby bottle so as to releaseably secure said brush head to said baby bottle.
Further aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description taken together with the accompanying drawings.